Your car is among the most important investments you will make. Choosing the right cover for your car, truck or SUV will help protect it and maintain its value. Factors such as where you live, the weather conditions and where your vehicle is stored should be considered when making your selection.
Here are just a few examples of environmental elements that can wreak havoc on your paint job.
Environment: Heat, shade, and acid rain are not great for a car’s finish. Over time these environmental elements can damage a cars paint and film.
Trees: Trees can also cause damage to your vehicles paint job. Even small drops of sap can produce permanent color changes and can etch your paint.
Birds, Nuts, Berries: Bird droppings are equally toxic. And if that’s not enough, acorns, pinecones, branches, and other things that fall out of trees can cause tiny chips in the paint, and allow moisture to creep in.
Sunshine: Ultraviolet rays and radiant energy also known as heat have a noticeable effect on automobile finishes. Paint colors not only fade, but are likely to fade unevenly, over time. Additionally, UV rays can slowly erode sections of your car finish.
In addition, the interior of your car does not do well in the sun. Trapped heat can dry out and deteriorate vinyl, leather, plastic and rubber. It bakes and breaks down foam padding and adhesives, and destroys audio components, tapes and disks.
Rain: An occasional rainstorm will not destroy your car’s finish. Corrosion begins any time your car has exposed blemishes and is exposed to very moist conditions. Moisture seeps into tiny cracks and dings and begins to work against your paint from the inside out by separating the paint from the metal.
Keep in mind that the best covers block heavy rain and sleet, while allowing any moisture vapor that’s already trapped to escape.
Winter: There are two corrosive elements associated with ice and snow and they are moisture and salt. The same moisture that harms your car as rain produces similar damage as snow and ice. While the salt that allows you to drive more safely during the winter accelerates the corrosive process by slowing down drying time and causing a chemical reaction with the metal body of your car.
Hazards At Home Or Away
It’s easy to see how the environment can naturally cause damage to your vehicle, but often it’s everyday human action that causes serious damage to a car’s exterior.
Dents and Scratches: Unfortunately, dents and scratches happen and only a protective suit of armor or a car cover can help protect your car from other drivers and imperfect parkers.
Dust: Even if you park inside, dust settles on the car’s surface, building up a layer of grit that eventually turns abrasive
In the interior, dust and grit can graze fibers, causing them to wear through and break. Even the moist dirt and debris that you carry in on your shoes can cause mold and mildew growth inside a closed-up car.
Theft: With all the new high-tech theft-deterrent devices out there, it’s easy to forget that a simple car cover can protect your vehicle from thieves. It can deter the thief by masking the car’s make and model, as well as stereo equipment, cellular phones and other items.